The Arizona sentinel., 1887-07-16
STORY TOLD BY A HEN.

Wonderful Eggs, and How They Helped to
 Celebrate the Fourth.
 The only time was really free from all care was when I was an egg. That was because I did not know much. But must say, though Pm not bit proud or stuck up, that it was greatly to my credit that I decided to be a Plymouth Rock, when l might have been a common, everyday sort of a barn yard foTvl, or even horrid, vulgar tur- key, or, worse than all, a ridiculous goose. An egg can not be too careful about such matters. If breed isn't every thing. it is good deal.
 It was wonderful day. can tell you. when I opened first a window, and then a door, in my shell, and stepped out. had no idea there was so much to see, but since then have travelled extensively; if I haven't seen every thing, l have seen most every thing.
 Before go any further I want to tell you that, of all the funny things in Henland, the funniest of all is boy and the most dreadful. I don't know what boys were made for, but I SUD- pose there must be some reason for it. There are some good points about them, though; I'll admit this, because I would not Intentionally do injustice even to boy. For instance, when they feed us, as they sometimes do-when they don forget it. But 1 believe they would rather "peg' stones and things at us, for they very rarely forgot to do that-when there is no one watching them.
 The most exciting adventure of my life was with boy, and that was what l started to tell you about. His name was Fritz-what ridiculous names boys do have! but one becomes used to that after awhile-and he lives in the large white hen-house, with green blinds, which is only a short walk from my own cozy coop.
 One day Fritz and his father were visiting my coop. It seems odd that such big things as boys should have bigger things that are their fathers; but the boys know the most-I found that out by hearing Fritz say so. Boys and their fathers say such queer things, too! On the day speak of Fritz said:
 "Pa, l haven't got a single cent for the Fourth. Won't you please let me have a couple of dollars to buy fire works and snap-crackers?"
 That's too much to waste on noise and burnt fingers" said his father.
 linen gimme a dollar, won't you, please?"
 "No, but I'll tell you what I will do. You may have all the eggs Madam Mayfower" my name-"lays from now until the Fourth. She's good for an egg a day, and the money you'll get for what she will lay in six weeks will make disturbance enough"
 Ali right, pa" said Fritz. '1 know her eggs, and I'll see that none of them get away"
 My eggs, if I do say it, are not hard to distinguish from common eggs they are so much larger. smoother and winter, and more stylish in every way.
 After Fritz's father had gone, Fritz said to me:
 Now, old Mayblossom, you just want to go in for all you're worth. An egg a day is the contract, and you'll keep it, too, if there is spark of pa triotism in your speckled breast, for all my Fourth of July fun must come out of you. See here, Madam"
 With that he took round, red thing out of his pocket, and a little stick of wood that made a funny noise, and, after holding them together minute, he threw the round, red thing down in front of me.
 "Therer' he said. You've got to hatch out my fire-crackers, and there's | a sample copy for you to work by!'
 I didn't understand at all what he | meant. thought it was a new kind of | a red worm, and Twas just about to get | a good taste of it when-sizzle!- BANG! it went, making the awfulest noise you ever heard. I was stunned and | blinded for a moment, and thought 1 | would never hear or see again. Then I gave a cry and flew up on the fence. Fritz just stood there and laughed at | my fright, till I thought he, too, would burst up in a noise and small pieces like the red worm that he called fire cracker. After he had got so he could | speak again, and as he was going of, he said:
 Just remember that every egg you lay, Dame Partlett, will have a whole bunch of fire-crackers like that in itr'
 Perhaps you can imagine what a state of mind I was in. Could it be possible that my eggs would contain such dreadful things as thatP But I had to lay, and take the chances, al- though for the first few days cut and